Past the Popcorn: Waterland Home Video Feature

What can you say about an effective ghost story… without spoiling the effect? Without spilling key plot points and character arcs?

The answers are: Not Much, and Very Little. So prepare for what may be the shortest film review I’ve ever written, as I have no intention of ruining the very simple and intense pleasure that is a screening of The Presence.

I will, however, just mention that my wife and I recently spent a long weekend at a “cabin in the woods” and had some creepy experiences. So the timing of this review is at least a propos of something.

Here’s the basic setup: A troubled young writer schedules a secluded week or two holed up the remote cabin where she spent time with family as a child. The catch: the cabin is now inhabited by a ghost. The other catch: the writer ends up with some additional unwanted company, human and otherwise.

So just a few things to note.

First: While this is writer/director Tom Provost’s feature-film debut, he’s hardly a greenhorn in the business. His background in theater is on display with the creative staging of the copious cabin interior sequences—but his lengthy (if spotty and varied) experience as a TV actor, screenwriter, and editor/producer/director of commercial films comes to culmination here. This is really a pretty brilliant first film, one with which any director would be immensely pleased. Even though Provost has mentioned his awareness of the film’s many shortcomings (so says he), I can’t think of a single significant thing he could have done to improve the effect. Certainly, a larger budget wouldn’t have helped a bit—and it’s not often you can say that.

Second: The major roles are brilliantly cast. In the past, I’ve usually felt that Mira Sorvino has been given a free pass by directors (and critics) because she’s just so darned appealing. But she’s really working here, and contributes immensely not only through her performance but through the influence of her craft. The synergy that’s created between her character backstory and Provost’s script is pretty remarkable. It is, in fact, what really lends the story’s climax its weight and significance. In addition, Shane West, Justin Kirk, and Tony Curran are all seasoned vets and turn in A-list supporting work here. Again this reflects well on Provost.

Third: It’s worth pointing out that this is a film that really nails what a good ghost story should do. Yes, it works at a metaphorical level—as Sorvino’s writer gets a chance to work through her “inner demons”—and takes seriously the notion of the metaphysical world. But it also takes that extra step, taking very, very seriously the idea that the metaphysical world has both a bearing on the here and now and, literally, the hereafter. It’s a stirring vision of mercy and redemption.

This is a wonderful film to not only watch and enjoy but talk about and think about for days afterward. If you’re looking for intelligent, well-crafted, thoughtful filmmaking in the form of a ghost story, invest in The Presence. You won’t regret it, unless you suffer extensively from either clinical or culturally-induced ADD.

Just don’t expect chase sequences, blood and guts, zombies, or slasher gore. This is a smart film that takes its time getting under your skin.